INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — Seashores up and down Pinellas County have been coping with erosion points for a very long time. Since Hurricane Idalia handed by the world, it’s solely worsened the issue: making some seashores slivers of what they as soon as had been and turning seaside accesses into steep cliffs.

“The seashores are lovely,” stated Paul Jannarone.

Jannarone has lived in Indian Rocks Seaside since 1993. Nevertheless, he and different residents see that the seashores are hurting.

“Over time, with the storms, you get the erosion, and culminates in conditions like we’ve right now,” stated Jannarone.

Seaside erosion is already an issue on many Pinellas County seashores, made worse by this week’s storm.

The Metropolis of Indian Rocks Seaside has closed 14 of the 28 seaside accesses attributable to sand loss and erosion. The seaside erosion additionally leaves the world extra susceptible to future storms with much less buffer between the Gulf of Mexico and houses, inns, and companies.

Gregg Mims, the Metropolis Supervisor for Indian Rocks Seaside, stated they most likely misplaced a 3rd of the seaside, if no more.

“We want sand on this seaside,” stated Mims. “There’s completely no excuse for the state of affairs that we discover ourselves in.”

Regardless of pleas from coastal mayors, there’s been a stalemate halting seaside renourishment. In earlier years, the US Military Corps of Engineers rebuilt these seashores with new sand, however proper now, these initiatives are on an indefinite maintain regarding property rights.

“All we wish is an opportunity to be on the desk and for them to comprehend that we’re a singular county. We’re a peninsula on a peninsula. It’s very uncommon,” stated Cookie Kennedy, the Mayor of Indian Rocks Seaside. “We do agree that when you’re on personal property, it is best to have easements, however once more, over 98 p.c of this county the place seaside renourishment is happening just isn’t on personal property.”

ABC Motion Information spoke with the district commander of the Military Corps division that oversees all of Florida Thursday night.

As we head into the lengthy Labor Day weekend, the priority from some is that, over time, vacationers might take their enterprise someplace else.

“Our household’s been right here for 40 years having a enterprise proper right here, and a big a part of it has been due to the seaside, and as we lose the seaside, it’s going to be the place our individuals who do not even stay proper on the seaside, the workforce might be affected as a result of we can’t want as many individuals to work if we do not have the purchasers coming to the eating places for the seashores,” stated Matthew Loder, CEO of the Unique Crabby Invoice’s in Indian Rocks Seaside.

Relating to the reopening of the seaside accesses in Indian Rocks Seaside which might be closed, metropolis officers stated on Friday that it might be months earlier than a few of these are open.